Route 66 and TomTom join forces to bring handset owners closer and more importantly, accurately to their desired destination without breaking a sweat. At the Mobile World Congress that recently concluded in Barcelona, both companies revealed the Route 66 Maps + Navigation which is a new app fashioned for Android. This offering features TomTom’s highly precise maps as well as enhanced location content.
As the companies suggest, the new entrant is noted to be the first application that is a result of the global agreement made between the two last year. The feature-packed mapping and navigation solution is aimed at catering to all the needs of pedestrians and drivers strewn across the globe. Clear maps in 3D graphics as well as handy links like Wikipedia and weather are offered in more than 100 countries. Through multi-touch gestures, users can explore maps by zooming, tilting moving and rotating. Other features include optional Real Time Traffic and Speed Camera services, Follow Me, as well as spoken directions in 57 languages.
“We are extremely pleased to provide a critical component in this compelling new Route 66 application,” commented Maarten van Gool, Managing Director, TomTom Licensing. “Our maps rate very highly in terms of quality and reliability, and are updated daily via millions of GPS system users worldwide, who help to track and validate changes in real time.”
“Route 66 Maps + Navigation provides the future of navigation, today,” stated Paul Warmer, Route 66 Vice President Marketing. “And it’s also great fun to use. Everyone who tested our new product, became hooked on the unique Follow Me feature, which we believe is a major step forward in making navigation more intuitive and a lot more fun.”
The Follow Me feature portrays a video of the front street as well as a virtual 3D car up front. The indicator lights flash in order to indicate whether to turn left or right. Handset owners can easily get their hands on map data though a number of ways. The map data is downloaded from high-speed servers directly to the device hence giving them all the latest maps. Through Wi-Fi, owners can hoard complete maps on their handset. This option comes in handy especially while going abroad and want to avoid data roaming charges. The app utilizes various location content offerings like Premium POIs, 3D Landmarks and 3D City Maps.
Route 66 Maps + Navigation will soon unveil across the Android Market. It will provide owners lifetime free access to maps while Turn-by-turn navigation is looked upon as a premium feature that can be brought through the in-app store. Furthermore Navigation licenses can be acquired for a time-frame of 30 days, one year and lifetime. There is a 30 days free worldwide navigation license as well. Mobile aficionados using Android 2.1 and later can avail of the latest software.